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Cultivate Education

Discover industry best practices, fresh ideas, and creative solutions to common challenges when you take part in education, tours, workshops, and more at Cultivate. 

Experienced researchers and industry experts have come together to provide you and your team with the knowledge and tools you need to become more efficient, productive, and prepared for the future.

Education Sessions

Available with an All-Access Pass

Take an active role in your learning through all four days of Cultivate with education on a variety of subjects, from fundamental skills to advanced techniques. 150+ education sessions cover all segments of the industry and all aspects of your business.

Education Learning Tracks

To help guide your experience at Cultivate, our sessions are organized into education “Learning Tracks.” Each track includes education sessions focused on a specific topic, skill area, or industry segment. Create your own experience by choosing sessions from multiple Learning Tracks, or take a deep-dive into a particular subject by following one track.

Learning Tracks at Cultivate Include:

Garden Retail

Put a little more green in your bottom line and manage today’s business shifts with confidence through these sessions that address consumer trends and maximizing your retail space.

Garden Retail Back2Basics

We’ll go in depth on vital techniques for retail team members that you can use to develop your own skills or build a training tool box to bring back to your team.

Greenhouse

Greenhouse growers face an array of questions, from fluctuating input costs and challenges with labor, to changes at retail and a shifting consumer marketplace. Learn about production techniques, best practices, and growing trends. 

Greenhouse Back2Basics

Whether you are new to the business or an experienced grower, this track provides practical skill sets for growing effectively. 

Interior Plantscape

Manage the demands of an ever-changing business, including finding and keeping clients, running the business, and staying on top of hot trends your clients want to see.

Landscape

Landscapers face lots of demands for consumer attention and money. Get the critical information you need to grow your business and stand out from your competition with tips from industry experts.

Management Clinic

Develop your business expertise, no matter your role in the industry or your business segment. From hiring the best talent, to developing a marketing plan or figuring out how to structure a sales team, there are a multitude of skills needed to lead a thriving operation.

Nursery

Learn about innovative production techniques and the hottest new varieties. Hear from leaders on managing challenges such as labor, greater regulatory oversight, and changes in the consumer marketplace.

Nursery Back2Basics

Refresh on the fundamentals or prepare to train your team with these must-attend sessions for nursery growers.

Session Skill Levels

Cultivate education sessions are broken down by the following skill levels:

  • All Audience

    • Appropriate for anyone with interest in this subject regardless of skill level.
  • Fundamental

    • Primary knowledge of the topic.
    • Recommended for those who want to gain a basic understanding of the subject and material.
  • Intermediate

    • Moderate knowledge of the topic.
    • Recommended for those who have some basic or fundamental knowledge of the subject and material already.
  • Progressive

    • Advanced knowledge of the topic.
    • Recommended for those who have a moderate understanding of the subject and material already.

Session Education Types

Cultivate education sessions are broken down by the following types:

  • Growing

    Appropriate for anyone with interest in this subject regardless of skill level.

  • Diagnostics

    Classes specific to disease, weeds, insects, biocontrols, and other problems that can occur while growing.

  • Technology

    Classes specific to new automation, environmental controls, equipment, heating and cooling, lighting, software, structures, and retrofitting

  • Business Operations

    Classes specific to labor, HR, design and install, and sales and marketing.

  • Research

    Classes specific to hot topics in the industry, including pollinators, green infrastructure, and biocontrols.

  • Trends

    Classes specific to hot topics in the industry, including pollinators, green infrastructure, and biocontrols.

Hands-On Workshops at Cultivate

Take your learning to the next level when you sign up for Saturday workshops* at Cultivate. These half or full-day programs provide more in-depth opportunities for hands-on learning. Enrich your experience with programs designed to help you and your team develop knowledge and skills that you can take back to your business and implement immediately.

*Additional registration is required. 

Unlocking Cultivate'24 Success: A Tailored Tour for Exhibitors

Registration Fee: Cultivate Exhibitor registration – This tour will have limited registration available and is open exclusively to Cultivate'24 exhibitors.


Cultivate your exhibitor experience and join us for an insightful exploration and personal tour of booth layout, engaging displays, and consistent branding strategies that set the stage for success. This exclusive tour goes beyond the basics, offering a deep dive into the visual language of tradeshow exhibiting. Whether you're a seasoned exhibitor or a first-timer, this special tour is a must-attend. Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your booth into a compelling experience! 

Key Take-Aways Include:

  • Cultivate’24 Support Network Introductions
  • Show Floor Aspects and Information
  • Booth Design Strategy
  • Communication Techniques
  • Sales Strategy Training
  • Lead Capturing Development
  • Engaging Display Arrangement

Forecasting Workshop – It’s a Strategy, Not a Tactic

10 AM – 4 PM

For many years, growers and retailers in the Gardening & Horticulture space built most forecasts on the back of an envelope. Last year plus or minus. Then COVID hit and the supply chain was turned on its head. Suddenly, good forecasts are a competitive edge as well as tantamount to your company’s health.  

HLD & AGS will apply a full credit of session fees to those that engage with HLD/AGS for a Forecasting project

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $299/person, includes lunch and transportation

In this workshop, you will gain hands-on experience in different ways to make forecasting a strength within your organization and a strategy for building your profitability. Learn the fundamentals of forecasting for a greenhouse/nursery business, starting with an overview of what forecasting is, how it’s used, and various tools and methodologies to help build a better forecast.


Bring your laptop, your Excel skills, and all the people in your company that can benefit from this investment of time and technology. Bring your actual examples or work from what the session leaders provide. 

  • Who should attend?

    • People who want to LEARN how to build forecasts 
    • People who want to BRUSH UP their forecasting skills 
    • People who want to EXPAND their purview of the company they work for 
    • Second/Third/Fourth generation company owners who NEED TO KNOW everything. 
    • People who DO this work 
    • People who MANAGE the people that DO this work 
  • Meet the speakers:

    Ken Lane runs Hathaway & Lane Direct, LLC, (HLD) a data-driven consultancy supporting business with Forecasting, Marketing and Strategic Planning support. Providing clients with uncannily accurate forecasts for twenty years – including extreme times of inflation, recession, 9/11, 2008, and three wars – Ken can take complicated processes and make them seem easy…and accurate. 


    John Beauford is the President/CTO of Advanced Grower Solutions (AGS), serving growers since 2004 with software, data and analytics, and consulting solutions. John has more than 25 years of experience developing software, data analytic and technology products, and helping businesses use technology to further their results for organizations from Fortune 100 companies to startups including his own businesses. John has extensive experience with grower data and helping growers with all aspects of their IT and data areas including data automation, costing, modeling, and forecasting, pricing, data flows, analytics, and systems integrations. 

Garden Retail Traveling Workshop


Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $299/person, includes lunch and transportation

Keep up with the latest trends and the ever-changing customer as you explore new ways to transform your Independent Garden Center. This traveling workshop will visit local retail locations that showcase unique retail strategies, merchandising principles, marketing mastery, and more. Come prepared to learn and share as you and your peers experience how you can incorporate those ideas in your own garden center.

More information coming soon!

Pest Management Skills Workshop

Pencil to Profit: A Sketching and Selling Workshop to Close More Plant Sales

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $299/person, includes lunch and transportation

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $299/person, includes lunch and transportation


This dynamic workshop is tailored for growers seeking effective pest management solutions. In the morning session, immerse yourself in a hands-on experience within a greenhouse, where you'll develop essential skills. Learn the art of sampling cuttings for pests through washing techniques, establish a dipping protocol to assess phytotoxicity, and discover the application of new granular biopesticides.

Transitioning to a classroom-style setting for the afternoon segment, delve into top management strategies for today's key pests. Explore trapping methods, delve into the world of biological control, and understand the nuances of biopesticides and conventional chemistries. This workshop equips you with a diverse skill set, ensuring you leave empowered to tackle pest issues head-on in your horticultural endeavors. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your pest management game!

Have you ever discussed a project with a client only to learn that you had different pictures in your heads? This practical hands-on workshop will help you confidently create a quick sketch to help drive sales. Use a few fast pencil strokes to bring your customer’s vision to life. Learn the key steps to transition from planning designs to closing plant sales. Learn how to communicate pricing in a way that grows your profits. Whether you're a landscape company or a garden center, this workshop equips you to move from quick sketches to successful sales in order to help your green-industry business thrive!


Industry Production Tours

There is nothing like a production tour to show you what’s possible and inspire you – no matter how large or small your business—to try new things. AmericanHort is pleased to offer production tours at Cultivate to let you see some of the industry’s best practices up-close and personal. We visit facilities that are stand-outs in the industry.*

*Additional registration is required. 

Embark on a floral adventure with the "Blooms and Beyond: Exclusive Tour of Cincinnati's Botanical Gardens." Join esteemed host Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, as he guides you through a captivating exploration of horticultural wonders around Cincinnati. This immersive tour encompasses the lush landscapes of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where you'll witness an array of exotic blooms and gain insights into innovative plant trials. The journey continues to Rockdale Academy School Garden, fostering community engagement and showcasing an impressive variety of plants and trees. Concluding at the historic Spring Grove Cemetery, renowned for its botanical treasures, you'll be treated to an enriching history. This exclusive excursion promises a blend of education and inspiration, offering a unique perspective on Cincinnati's diverse botanical offerings during Cultivate'24.

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $175/person, includes lunch and transportation


Blooms & Beyond: Exclusive Tour of Cincinnati's Botanical Gardens

Garden Center Retail Tour

a red stamp that says sold out on a white background .

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $175/person, includes lunch and transportation


Get ready to take your garden center to the next level, beyond just a retail location. Discover how these garden centers have transformed their businesses into community centers, places where their customers want to come together and spend time outside of work and home life. The Cultivate'24 Garden Center Retail Tour features three gems: Benken Garden Center, White Oak Gardens, and Berns Garden Center. Explore and share best practices in product merchandising, promotions, and customer engagement, as well as ideas you can immediately implement in your business.

Learn More About Our Stops:

Benken Garden Center

Visit Benken Garden Center, where a family tradition dating back to 1939 has blossomed into a premier garden center, florist, and event venue. From homegrown plants to expert floral designs with 80+ years of experience, Benken is a community hub for workshops and celebrations, offering three unique spaces for unforgettable gatherings.

Berns Garden Center

Discover the rich history of Berns Garden Center, founded in 1956, evolving from a modest greenhouse to a year-round operation with retail spaces, production greenhouses, and professional landscaping services. Dive into Berns' commitment to quality and personal gardening, with a team of experienced designers enhancing landscapes and offering custom designs.

White Oak Gardens

Finally, experience the evolution of White Oak Gardens, rooted in hobby rose production over 50 years ago. Transformed by Jeff Webeler's vision, it now stands as a trusted neighborhood resource with modern greenhouses, expert staff, and a family-driven commitment to service. Explore the expansive 4.5-acre site, where passion for plants and people converge in a high-tech, family-friendly environment.

Greenhouse Production Tour

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $175/person, includes lunch and transportation


Visit area growers during the Greenhouse Production Tour to learn more about their growing and management practices. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how different sized operations with various growing tactics and specializations run their greenhouses. 

Start by exploring how Stockslager’s Greenhouse and Garden Center grew from a single greenhouse to one of the area’s largest growers and wholesalers of top-quality perennials, flowering annuals, and seasonal delights.

Then, discover how Tri State Foliage manages a supply chain that allows them to maintain one of the largest inventories of tropical plants in the Midwest year-round, from sourcing, to growing, to shipping.

Ask questions, network with other greenhouse growers, and take away new ideas for your own operations on this day-long visit.

Learn More About Our Stops:

Stockslager’s Greenhouse and Garden Center is a family owned and operated garden center near Dayton, OH. What began in 1958 as a single greenhouse, expanding on the family’s farming operations, has become one of the area’s largest growers of top-quality bedded plants, perennials, fall mums, and poinsettias.

Today, Stockslager’s has over nine acres of indoor and outdoor growing area. The greenhouses and garden center are open year-round, providing houseplants, fruit trees, vegetable plants, herbs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, and much more.

In addition to growing for their own retail sales, Stockslager’s fills thousands of wholesale orders each year for a variety of perennials, flowering annuals, and seasonal delights.

Tri State Foliage

Tri State Foliage, Inc. was founded in 1985 with one simple goal: supply the highest quality tropical foliage and blooming material to the plant industry year-round, not just. Their greenhouses were built with various shading zones, state-of-the-art climate controls, and an underground heating system, all to sustain the perfect growing and holding environment. This is all to help Tri State Foliage maintain one of the largest inventories of tropical plants in the Midwest. Their greenhouse sources plants directly from Florida and California, in addition to working with growers in Canada and Hawaii. Buyers regularly visit these nurseries to guarantee the best product possible. During the spring, Tri State offers outdoor blooming material for retail garden centers.

In addition to their stunning foliage, Tri State is also a distributor for Michigan Growers Products Sure Mix soil, Mr. Big Spanish moss, and other hard goods necessary for today’s interiorscaper. They also distribute their own “Tri State Foliage Wonder plant cleaner” to 10+ states. Explore how Tri State utilizes their own fleet of climate-controlled trucks to ensure quality goods reach their destination healthy and happy.

More tour stops coming soon!

Nursery Production Tour 

Registration Fee: Cultivate registration, plus $175/person, includes lunch and transportation


Begin your tour at Natorp’s Nursery. Nestled in Mason, Ohio, Natorp’s spans 150 acres and boasts a diverse range of offerings, from container shrubs and perennials to grasses, vines, roses, pot-in-pot trees, and a 3-acre annual greenhouse. Witness the intricate process of propagation and the cultivation of field trees and shrubs. With an additional nursery 20 miles north, Natorp Companies operates a retail garden center and a landscape division, contributing to a comprehensive horticultural experience. 

Next, embark on a tour of Bowyer Farm, a 600+ acre haven dedicated to sustainability and conservation for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Delve into native plant propagation and sales. Learn about their commitment to environmental stewardship, as evidenced by the farm's growth since its inception in 1995.

Next, embark on a tour of Bowyer Farm, a 600+ acre haven dedicated to sustainability and conservation for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Delve into native plant propagation and sales. Learn about their commitment to environmental stewardship, as evidenced by the farm's growth since its inception in 1995.

Learn More About Our Stops:

Stockslager’s Greenhouse and Garden Center

See some of the leading nursery grower operations in the Midwest on the Nursery Production Tour. 

Natorp’s Nursery

Natorp’s Nursery operates a 150-acre facility in Mason, Ohio growing container shrubs, perennials, grasses, vines, and roses, as well as pot-in-pot trees and 3 acres of annual greenhouse production. They also have a small propagation operation producing some of their own liner material. A small number of field trees and shrubs are produced as well. A majority of the field production is grown at a second nursery twenty miles north.

Also located on the property are Natorp’s retail and landscape divisions. The retail division operates a seasonal garden center, open only in the spring and fall. During other times of the year the retail greenhouse structure is used for production and winter storage of nursery stock.

The nursery supplies 90% of the plants sold through Natorp’s retail and landscape divisions. This accounts for about 30% of the nursery’s entire production. The remaining 70% is sold wholesale in a market area of about 100 miles surrounding the nursery. New markets for 2024 include expansion to Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburg. Natorp’s primary customer segments include Landscapers (65%), garden centers (20%), and municipalities (10%). 

Bowyer Farm

Sponsored by

Profile Growing Solutions

Other Educational Programming 

More opportunities to grow & learn at Cultivate!

Included with any Expo Plus registration OR All-Access Pass, don’t miss these abbreviated learning opportunities through the tHRIve Sessions at Cultivate or the Cultivate Live! stage. Presentations on these stages share information that will help you learn about new product trends and new innovations, as well as industry-funded research designed to advance your business.

Sessions at Cultivate

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), AmericanHort’s research foundation, presents a full slate of tHRIve Sessions at Cultivate. These 50-minute educational sessions offer an opportunity to hear speakers presenting key industry insights of interest to all segments of the green industry from HRI-supported research endeavors.


tHRIve Logo

Cultivate Live!

Cultivate Live! is the industry’s show and tell for inventions, news, and technologies that everyone needs to know about.


The Cultivate Live! stage is a fast-pitch stage for exhibitors to demonstrate, share, and show what is awesome about their products and innovations. The Cultivate Live! stage is located on the trade show floor. 

To learn more about securing a presentation time on Cultivate Live!, contact CindyL@AmericanHort.org. 

Pesticide Recertification Credits at Cultivate

AmericanHort is seeking approval from a variety of states for Cultivate education sessions to be approved for Pesticide Recertification credits. As state approvals are secured, they will be listed below.

  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Michigan
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • West Virginia

Have questions on pesticide recertification credits at Cultivate?

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